Christmas Capers of the Young and the Restless
by Monny287
Summary: The first Hidden in the Past sequel! Hermione is sick and tired of her 16 year old son, Eli, dancing around his feelings for his best friend, Emma. What's a mother to do? Plenty, in Hermione's opinion. Watch as this mom takes matters into her own hands.


Christmas Capers of the Young and the Restless

Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K. Rowling owns all.

A/N: Just another snippet from the world of Hidden in the Past. Hope you like it.

Hermione was frustrated. Frustrated with the Christmas lights, frustrated with Ryan for nicking the cookie dough, frustrated with Lily for not wanting her nap, and most of all, frustrated with Eli. Eli, a much different boy than when we left him, was the main cause of her frustration. She had vowed a few years back that if he was sixteen and still hadn't dated his obvious soul mate (who happened to be his best friend) Emma, she was going to have to do something. Well, he was sixteen, and he still hadn't even looked at her in a way that could be construed as romantic.

"Oh, I give up!" she said, throwing down the confounded lights and blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Harry came in from the kitchen, a brown haired little girl in braided pigtails balanced on his hip.

"You know, love, you could always use magic to untangle those," he said, putting Lily down and wiping his hands on a towel.

"No, it's not the lights," she sighed. "Well, maybe a little. Mostly it's Eli."

"What about Eli?"

"Eli and Emma,"

"Are they fighting or something?"

"No, they're not fighting,"

"Then what are you so aggravated about?"

"I can't believe those two won't come to their senses!"

"About what?"

"About each other!" Hermione forcefully placed an ornament on a branch.

"Honey, maybe they're just not meant to be together that way," Harry said, scooping up his daughter before she could scramble up the drapes.

"But I know they are!"

"If they were meant to be together, they would be together,"

"Yeah, that's what Ron said about us in seventh year, and we didn't get together until we were adults,"

"But the point was, we got together,"

"True, but it's just so frustrating!"

"I hope you aren't planning anything…."

"Of course not," Hermione said, flushing slightly. "Really, would I do that?"

"When it comes to Eli and Emma, I really don't know anymore," Harry laughed. "I just suggest you give it a bit more time, just let them be. They'll figure it out sooner or later." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Besides, I don't think it's a story he'd like to tell his kids if you matched them up together."

"Fine," she said in a dejected tone. "Here, let me take her." She reached out her arms for Lily, who had begun to squirm. Lily grateful reached over to crawl into her mother's outstretched arms.

"Come on, Lils," she said. "Let's see if Ryan will keep you occupied for a few moments while Mummy decorates." She climbed the stairs and knocked on her youngest son's bedroom door. There was some scuffling as, she was sure, he tore himself away from his computer and navigated his way through the mess in his room. The door opened, and a very scruffy looking nine year old stuck his head out the door.

"Yeah, Mum?" Ryan asked.

"You know, I've asked you to clean that room a thousand times already," she smirked.

"I know, I know, I'll do it later," he said.

"You keep saying that,"

"Is that what you came up here to tell me, or is there something you need help with,"

"No, there's something I need help with," Hermione said. "Could you do me a huge favor, Ryno?"

"Sure, Mum,"

"Could you keep your sister occupied while I finish decorating the living room? She's trying to climb the drapes again, and it's driving your father crazy,"

"Sure thing," Ryan made a funny face and held out his arms to his little sister. Lily laughed and gladly switched people, again. Hermione smiled. Lily was probably the most loved two year old in the entire world, and it didn't help that she was also the most adorable. She and Ryan got along famously; he had taken to being a big brother like a fish to water.

"Oh, and see if you can get her down for a nap. She does it for you so much better than when your father and I try. Or see if Eli can," Hermione said. Eli, too, had taken to being a big brother, both with Ryan and Lily. "And speaking of your brother, where is he?"

"In his room," Ryan said, handing Lily a stuffed animal from his bed and shutting his door. She shook her head and headed to Eli's room.

"Eli?" she said, knocking on his door.

"Come on in, Mum," came the reply. She opened the door, to see her son sprawled on his bed, and Emma sitting in one of his bean bag chairs that adorned a corner of his room.

"Hi, Mrs. Potter," said the brown haired girl.

"Oh, hello Emma," Hermione smiled. "Do your parents know you're here?"

"Yep,"

"Okay then, you're welcome to stay,"

"So, what's up, Mum?" Eli interrupted, his messy black hair falling in his face, as it usually did.

"Nothing. I just came in to check in on you, unless you feel like trying to put your sister down for a nap,"

"Now?"

"You don't have to. Ryan's trying at the moment,"

"I thought Annie was over," Eli said. Annie was Ryan's girlfriend, or at least, as much of a girlfriend as a nine year old could have. They'd known each other since they were in diapers practically, and they'd really hit it off. Hermione smiled at the memory of a six year old Ryan plucking one of her flowers from the garden to give to her. It not only made a cute memory, but excellent blackmail. Not that Hermione would use it as blackmail…..no, she probably would. Or as an embarrassing story to tell friends.

"No, she left about half an hour ago," she said, watching and smiling as she noticed Emma's gaze on her son. "So, that's all I wanted to say. I'll check in later. Your father's making cookies if you guys want some later."

"Okay, Mum,"

"Alright then, I'll be downstairs if you need me,"

"_Okay,_ Mum,"

"_Okay,_ Eli," Hermione smiled and closed the door. She rolled her eyes. Ever since Emma started coming over every day, he'd wanted to keep his parents out of his room. If Hermione didn't know better, she'd think something was going on. She chuckled. She should be so lucky.

"Love, how do I turn off the oven?" came her husband's voice from downstairs. She rolled her eyes again. He was just lucky she loved him.

"Okay, you see this knob?" she said, coming into the kitchen and approaching her husband. "Take it, and turn it until it clicks. Then it's off."

"Thank you," Harry said, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Now, flattery will get you nowhere," she said.

"It always has before,"

"Back when I was young and uncorrupted,"

"You've been corrupted ever since I saved you from that troll,"

"No I haven't!"

"Have too!"

"Have not!"

"Have too!" he leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips, successfully cutting off all arguments.

"Oh, Mum! Dad! Do you really have to do that in the _kitchen?_" came a disgusted voice from the kitchen door. Eli stood, holding Emma by the hand, as he often did, looking at his parents with complete and utter loathing, while Emma tried to stifle a giggle behind her hand.

"Well, Eli, it is our house," Harry said, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist.

"It's my house, too," Eli grumbled, grabbing a few of the cookies and immediately dropping them onto the counter. "Ouch!" He shook his hand frantically as it turned a pink color.

"They just came out of the oven. I would imagine they would be hot," Harry laughed as Eli carefully picked up a stack of cookies and made his way back upstairs.

"Did you see how he was holding her hand?" Hermione said. "Did you see?"

"Mione, we used to do that when we were sixteen," Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, but we were both nursing crushes on each other," Hermione said.

"Correction. I didn't start nursing a crush until I was seventeen,"

"One year! Makes no difference. They're still teenagers,"

"Mione, do you remember how we felt in fourth year when Rita butted into our personal life? Imagine how Eli will feel if his _mother_ buts into his personal life,"

"But I'm supposed to! I'm his mother!"

"You were glad when your mother didn't but into your personal life. You've told me so a few dozen times,"

"And look how long it took us to get married. And look who I married first," Harry didn't say anything, but his face turned a bright shade of red. Anthony, Hermione's first husband was, at least in Harry's mind, was a complete scumbag. He was abusive, a drunk, and a horrible role model for the boy who he thought was his son, Eli. His blood boiled at the thought of the man; Hermione still had scars from him. He tightened his grip around her waist as she mentioned it.

"Harry, it was a long time ago, it's okay," she said as she ran a hand up his arm.

"No, it's not okay," Harry gritted his teeth. "I should have killed him when I had the chance. The fact that he keeps bothering us is infuriating."

"I know, love. But there's nothing we can do. The last restraining order was blown out of the water. At least his visits don't upset Eli anymore," Harry growled in response. He thought Anthony would get the message thirteen years ago when Harry had beat him to a pulp. But for years after that, he kept showing up on holidays, birthdays, and sometimes just random days, drunk and angry. It used to scare the crap out of

Eli, especially when Anthony would get into angry fistfights with guests at such occasions. Several restraining orders had been implicated, both Muggle and magical, though none had worked. Harry vowed that if Anthony disturbed his family again, he might just need to be held back. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Hermione said brightly, as she left the comfort of Harry's embrace to see who had come to call.

"Ron! Luna!" came the joyous call just as Harry was about to ask who it was. "How are you? How are the twins?"

"Hello Hermione," Ron said as he stepped into the front hall and shook the snow off his coat and pants. "It's really coming down out there."

"Let's hope it keeps on snowing. I've always loved the snow," Hermione smiled and waved her wand nonchalantly, casting a drying spell on the dripping outerwear Ron and Luna had hung up in the hall.

"Harry!" boomed Ron as Harry walked out of the kitchen to greet his friends. Ron caught him in a tight bear hug.

"Ron!" Harry wheezed. Unfortunately, Ron had inherited his mother's grip, and it made him a little breathless every time either one hugged him. Ron laughed and let go as Harry felt his ribs to make sure none were broken.

"Unca Won!" came a small, lisping voice from the stairs. Lily had apparently escaped her brother's fortress of clutter and was making her way down the stairs, one at a time, finally landing on the floor with a small thump. "Unca Won!" she repeated, toddling towards the red head as fast as her small legs would carry her.

"Roly-poly!" Ron exclaimed, scooping up the giggling toddler and throwing her over his head. Roly-poly had become a nick name among the Weasley family for the youngest Potter, owing to the fact that Lily had never crawled, only rolled. Hermione had been terribly worried that she wasn't developing properly, but when Lily pulled herself up at eight months and started to cruise around the living room, she breathed a sigh of relief and instead baby proofed the house.

"And how are you today, Little Lily?" Ron asked, tickling her stomach as Luna smiled and looked on.

"Good," the small girl smiled. Luna smiled again and reached out her arms for Lily to crawl into. The toddler did so gladly, happy for the attention she received.

"You know, sometimes I think she likes you two more than she likes us," Harry said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Of course she does, mate," Ron said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We're just cooler than you. Right, Lils?" he nodded his head emphatically, and Lily nodded hers in turn.

"See? I told you," Ron grinned triumphantly.

"She is such a delightful child," Luna remarked as she set the squirming Lily down and watched her toddle off back upstairs.

"She was the easiest of all of them," Hermione said, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch. Luna sat beside her, looking very tired. The twins were now twelve, and as much as Fred and George as they could be. Luna, Hermione could tell, didn't have any idea of what to do with two rambuncous little boys at the same time, and it being winter break, she could tell the once wispy mined blonde could use a break—or a therapist, to say the least. Ron didn't help the matter by encouraging such antics, and Hermione was only grateful that neither of her boys were in the same class as the twins. Eli got into enough scrapes by himself, being a bit negligent of the rules, as his father was. Ryan had not yet begun to attend Hogwarts yet, and Hermione was glad for that; she wanted to keep her children little as long as she could, Lily being her last. Her pregnancy with Lily had been full of mishaps, one that nearly killed the both of them, and both her doctor and Harry firmly said "no" to anymore children.

"Girls usually tend to be that way," Ron said, flopping down unceremoniously in an armchair across from the couch. "Ginny, I remember, was loads better with the rules as a kid than any of us boys. Mum says she was easiest to potty train, too."

"Well, Lily hasn't quite reached that stage yet," Harry laughed, sitting down next to his wife and taking her hand.

"The twins were awful," Luna said. Hermione distinctly heard Ron mutter "still are," under his breath, with an air of pride and admiration. "One would cry, and then the other would start crying. They never did anything without each other. They've branched away now, but now they're into pranking. And it would a whole lot easier to break them of that habit if _somebody's_ older brothers didn't stock them with all the supplies they need to drive their teachers and parents insane!" She glared at her husband, who put his hands in the air in helpless defense.

"It's not my fault, love," Ron said. "The twins sneak into their Hogsmeade branch on weekends. There's nothing we can do to stop them. Fred and George won't take orders from their baby brother."

"Great," Luna muttered, putting a hand over her eyes and sighing. "Maybe they'll outgrow it. Hopefully."

"You should be so lucky,"

"Oh, hey Uncle Ron, Aunt Luna," Eli had come down the stairs, obviously to satisfy his cookie cravings, again leading Emma by the hand. Emma smiled and waved with her free hand. Luna noticed their conjoined hands and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, well, well," Luna said as soon as the two had gone back upstairs. "When did Emma start being Eli's girlfriend?"

"She didn't," Hermione said. "I mean, they aren't dating. Yet," she added in an undertone.

"It certainly looks like they are," Ron said. Hermione nodded. Harry looked between them.

"Oh, no," he said firmly. "No, no, no. You two are _not_ planning on matchmaking them, are you?"

"Harry, I've waited for thirteen years to see those two actually get together, and since they haven't, I believe a little outside influence is needed," Hermione said, trying to sound innocent. Ron and Luna nodded their agreement.

"You've been waiting since they were three?"

"Yes,"

"Oh, come on,"

"What?"

"Since he was three?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen it coming,"

"I have indeed, but that doesn't mean that I think you should go planning the wedding already,"

"I haven't planned the wedding yet,"

"Emphasis on the 'yet'"

"Oh, hush you,"

"Fine, but when Eli is sitting on a therapist's couch in ten years, complaining about how his mother set up him and his best friend, and then it failed, don't come crying to me,"

"Fine then! I won't, because it _will_ work. I've never quit at anything in my life, and I don't intend to now!"

"What about Divination?"

"Oh, come on,"

"What?"

"Divination is a wishy washy subject filled with predetermined notions and a bunch of mythology. It doesn't every really tell the future,"

"Right,"

"Oh, hush you!"


End file.
